Animal Defenders International

What is wrong with bullfighting?

. Updated: 1 December 2009

Bullfighting most notably takes place in Spain, Portugal and Mexico, however, many other countries allow it as well, including; France, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela. A bloodless form of bullfighting also takes place in Canada and the USA using Velcro-ended harpoons as opposed to spears.

The tourist industry is one of the primary sources of support for bullfighting. To bring in spectators, it is portrayed as traditional, festive and a fair competition between the bull and the matador. However, it is not a fair competition, the bull is not given an ounce of hope, he is virtually helpless and cannot defend himself; he has zero chance of survival. The manipulation of the fight begins even before the bull is coerced into the ring and does not end until his death.

Bulls often take a central role during fiestas as well and as a result, fiestas are intrinsically linked to bullfights. The bulls, cows and calves that are sold to the villages for fiestas are bred by the same breeders as the fighting bulls. It keeps the breeders in very good economical standing, as the fiestas provide an outlet for the animals that are not suitable for breeding or fighting (if they are deformed, injured, too brave or unpredictable etc.).

During these fiestas, the cows, bulls or calves suffer from the most horrendous acts of cruelty, lasting up to five hours in length; they can be thrown from great heights, drowned, run down by cars or tractors, stabbed, strangled, castrated, raped with metal sticks, have body parts ripped off i.e. tail, horns, ears and even blinded and burned.

Bullfighting and fiestas where bulls are used are completely devoid of compassion and have no place within civilised society.

You can do your part by not attending any bullfights or fiestas; boycotting travel agencies that promote bullfights as part of their tourist packages; writing letters to the governments of countries where bullfighting and fiestas take place and making your opinions known by educating friends and family.